Kent County Building Authority approves $609,134.74 change order for Fuller Administration asbestos abatement

The Kent County Building Authority on June 10 approved a $609,134.74 change order to cover additional asbestos abatement at the Fuller Administration Building, officials said.

Facilities Management Director Tim Bradshaw told the authority that hazardous-material abatement at the former hospital site is near completion but that testing uncovered roughly double the amount of hazardous materials previously estimated. As a result, demolition work is now projected to finish near the end of November, about 12 weeks later than previously scheduled.

The change order, presented by Erhardt Construction representatives Jeff Olsen and Kyle VanderPloeg, covers costs identified during abatement work, including an estimated $305,250 for potential roof abatement that would be removed from the change order if roof testing returns negative. Bradshaw noted ProTech—contracted for testing—raised its floor-tile and mastic sampling rate from $3 to $5.25 per square foot; the board was told this rate increase accounts for roughly $80,000 of the additional cost, and a mag joint credit of $12,135 reduced the total. The authority approved the change order despite one member’s objection.

Board member Scott Conners said he did not favor the ProTech rate increase, and the record shows Conners opposed the change-order motion. The motion to approve Change Order No. 1 was made by Robert Myers and supported by Colin Schiefler; it carried with one recorded dissent.

Bradshaw also updated the board on broader Fuller Administration planning. Facilities Project Manager Rich LaBombard said staff continue to work with the architect to refine building systems and reduce space; the team has lowered the current plan by one level from the original design and is targeting an all-in project cost of about $120 million. Bradshaw said abatement cost estimates have risen from the original abatement bid of $2.8 million to approximately $3,415,548.74 when factoring the change order.

The authority also approved two Fuller-related invoices at the meeting: Erhardt Construction Pay Application No. 4 for $266,427.98 and Progressive Companies invoice 209948 for $168,963.96.

The board will reconvene July 8 at 8:30 a.m.; officials said work will continue through the fall with revised schedules and further testing to finalize abatement scope and costs.